After neither team took control of the play in the opening minutes, the Bulldogs started to push the pace and win the battles, especially in the Capitals zone. They would take a 1-0 lead just short of six minutes in when Brett Stewart took a D-to-D pass from Garret Halls at the left point where he waited for a lane to open before throwing a quick wrist shot on goal that Robin Gusse couldn't hold on to with his glove. Tryg Strand was right on the top of the crease to poke it home to put the Dogs ahead 5:55 into the first. The Dogs would continue to push the pace and carry the better of the play, but they couldn't build their lead before the Capitals caught them on a bad change and/or poor defensive coverage in neutral ice as Rylan Bechtel found Mitch Ball on a long stretch pass for a partial breakaway He would get a backhand away before Kurt Gosselin could catch up that found its way home through the legs of Tyger Howat at 15:47 of the first for a 1-1 tie. The Dogs would answer right back on a goal that was quite similar to the first one as they hemmed the Caps in their zone and won several battles and races to pucks leading to Jakson Elynuik finding Tryg Strand on a backhand pass of the left corner where he beat Robin Gusse with a lighting quick release, top corner blocker side to pop the water bottle off the net and make it 2-1 Dogs, with Mitch Makin also drawing an assist at 17:01 of the first.
The Capitals would come out inspired to start the second, and would be rewarded for it as they quickly tied the game. You are no doubt as tired of reading this stuff as I am when it comes to writing it...but once again it was in controversial fashion. The Caps charged the net on a 2 on 1 rush that was initially stopped. The puck was then throw cross-crease on the scramble in mid-air, where it was batted home by Myles Powell, while the net was also knocked off it's moorings on the play. The Referee again made no call either way - whether it was a goal or No goal. After a discussion with the Linesmen, followed by a discussion with the Goal Judge, the goal was counted. Myles Powell would get credit for it, with assists going to Steen Cooper and Brayden Gelsinger 1:36 into the second. The Capitals would take their first lead of the game in the back-half of the period on their first power play opportunity of the game as the Dogs D got caught stepping up and the Caps raced in on a 2 on 1 rush where Dane Gibson put a perfect cross-ice pass onto the tape of Kyle Horsman who went back-hand top shelf to make it 3-2 at 13:40 of the second with Mitch Ball also assisting.
The Dogs would pick up an after-the-whistle roughing penalty defending their goalie late in the second period, and it came back to bite them early in the third when a point shot by Rylan Bechtel hit Steen Cooper in front and bounced cross-ice right onto the tape of Taki Pantziris who one-timed it home top corner, short-side on Howat. That made it 4-2 Capitals just 39 seconds into the third, and that would do it for the game's scoring.
Final shots favoured the Capitals 25-21, with special teams being a huge difference as the Dogs went 0 for 4 on the power play while the Capitals went 2 for 2.
This one was right there for the taking for the Dogs, but again they found a way to lose. A bad call against ties the game, a bad decision while on the penalty kill makes it a 3-2 game and finally a bad bounce makes it 4-2 and that's the hockey game. The Dogs need to learn from this one and forget it quickly, as they finally get back on Home Ice tomorrow to host the Grizzlies.
Hammer
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